Excerpt from Double Pursuit

Mel turned over in the bed trying to find a cool spot. Even the thin cotton sheet felt hot and heavy. Her skin was damp with light sweat; everywhere, especially in her groin and under her breasts. Rome in a heatwave was purgatory. Not so much the temperature – she’d experienced over 40°C every day […]

Choosing the colours of book covers

It’s a well-worn statement, a cliché even, that it’s the book cover that sells the book.

I’d refine that a little. What a cover does first is grab a browser’s attention, nothing more. You’ve made them pause, even stop to investigate further. If they pick it up or click on its image, that’s a second […]

From SilverWood to Pulcheria – Roma Nova steps out

When I typed the last word of the first draft of INCEPTIO in 2009 I didn’t have a clue what to do with it. After advice, professional assessment, and submitting to a lot of agents whose response was “great concept, great story, great writing – not sure I could sell it” I decided to go […]